When Post Office Can't Find Your Stuff...[Update: Found!]

I go to my local post office to pick up my package(s) and the clerks can't find 'em!

What the freaking hell?!

I can't be the only person this has happened to, right?

It's a familiar drill (if you live in the US): A registered package (or two) is set to be delivered while you're at work, but since you aren't there the postman leaves one of those "Sorry We Missed You!" pink slips. No biggie, right? You just take the slips to the local PO the very next day and pick them up, no problem. I'm sure many of us have done this several times. Sure, it's hella inconvenient (especially if you don't have a car like me) but at least you get your stuff safe and sound.

So, on December 4th what seemed to be yet another "familiar drill" with the PO happened yet again. Oddly enough, I was actually home when the pink slips were left - I swear my postman never rings the bell - but I thought, whatever, I'm off tomorrow so I'll go in first thing in the morning and get my stuff. Incidentally, it was two packages: One from eBay and one from AmiAmi.

I arrived at my local PO shortly after they opened on December 5th. I handed the slips to the harried-looking clerk, who proceeded to rummage around the office for about five minutes before returning to me with the bad news. "I can't find them," she said. My heart sank. She then paged my local mail carrier to have him join in the search for my packages. After about ten minutes he returned to me with the same bad news.

My heart sank further.

You see, this isn't the first time this has happened. Earlier this year I had a registered package from California just up and disappear in the mail as well. Though, in that instance, the postman didn't even bother to leave me a "Sorry We Missed You!" pink slip. Still, I had to go through hell to get my money refunded. Did you know that as long as an "attempted delivery" is made in an eBay transaction the seller isn't obligated to file an insurance/loss claim on the item? Even if you never signed for it to show that it made it to you? Well, I learned this the hard way!

It's now been three days. I know I shouldn't let this year's earlier debacle with the post office color how I'm feeling about my current situation, but I'm feeling pretty damned defeated right now.

The clerks told me on December 5th that they'd send my packages over later in the day. Didn't happen. I called while I was at work the next day and was told the same thing over the phone. Packages never came.

The question is: Should I start panicking here? Just because it happened to me before doesn't mean they're both lost, again, right?

My second question is: Have any of you had a similar experience with registered packages getting "lost" at your local post office? If so, how long did you have to wait before they found them or redelivered them to you?

I at least feel a bit better being able to vent about this to a community that I feel must understand. Any comments/feedback/thoughts on this are much appreciated.

Thanks for reading! :)

UPDATE 12/8/14: Thanks for all the comments, everyone! Thankfully, after another call to the PO, one of the clerks was able to locate my packages. They were delivered while I was at work. What a relief! ^_^;

Has your local post office ever lost your "registered/insured" package?

Yukinaoni (3 years ago) #2500651Are you sure the delivery person didn't just put the note there and then put your stuff in front of your door without ringing the bell? In rushy times like the holidays, sometimes those delivery people are like ghost and leave your stuff on your front door where many grabby hands could just walk off with your stuff.

Geez, they do this in your country? I would kill them.
I hear stories of delivery man throwing the package over a wall instead of ring the bell, though. And this is terrible - but let the package in front of your door is even worse because anyone can take it.

All you can do is try to open a claim with USPS. I've had a package that was never attempted and was just going to be returned (TO KOREA) and I had to call and try to stop it (i had gone to my post office first thing in the morning, but they had already sent it) and I've had one where they plum didn't know where it was (not just delayed because I used registered, they made it to the US and then, who knows what). Mine just appeared randomly a few weeks later (it wasn't a figure, but it was damn annoying)

You're doing your best I think. I would start asking for details. Not "it's going to appear tomorrow," but where is it, where is the post office it's coming from so I can pick it up. That sort of thing. Unfortunately, shipping in the US is a joke.

I didn't actually lost a package, but it took extra 6 weeks for me to get a package than what was expected. For whatever reason, portion of the shipping label had been torn off which made the whole problem.
Lazy, post office didn't contact anyone even though the contact information was still intact.
I had to email them 3 times and called 2 times for them to actually do something about it.
Good thing it was registered or they would had just kept it.
It was SAL, so didn't get any compensation for late shipment.
At least it had not been sent back to the seller, or it would been more problem for me.
After that I only use registered shipping.

WanderingWastrel (3 years ago) #2500663My post office hasn't completely lost a package of mine, but once they -- or actually, the regional sorting center -- didn't know where it was for a week or so. I did get it, eventually.
But the thing with the pink slips is why I rent a private mailbox from the local UPS Store. The store's always open for delivery, they email me when a package arrives, and they stay open late enough for me to pick things up after work. Plus I don't have to worry about a delivery driver just dumping a package in front of my door, and someone stealing it before I get home.
If they can't find your package, ask the postal staff about how to make a claim. And then ask them for the number of the local Postal Inspector office. That's the post office's police force (yes, the U.S. post office has their own police force) and they handle cases of postal theft. The local staff should definitely find your package then, if it's in there.

Yukinaoni (3 years ago) #2500651Are you sure the delivery person didn't just put the note there and then put your stuff in front of your door without ringing the bell? In rushy times like the holidays, sometimes those delivery people are like ghost and leave your stuff on your front door where many grabby hands could just walk off with your stuff.

Nope, that's the purpose of the pink slips. The mail carriers leave them in the place of the package. They return them back to the local PO for pick-up the following day.

It's usually a more-than-reliable system. It prevents thievery from dishonest neighbors and such.

And I actually talked to my mail carrier when I went to the PO the first time. He was quite apologetic and said that he should've just left the registered packages but because they required signatures he didn't. Ironic, too, since I got two small unregistered packages left in the door that the same day, lol.

My post office hasn't completely lost a package of mine, but once they -- or actually, the regional sorting center -- didn't know where it was for a week or so. I did get it, eventually.

But the thing with the pink slips is why I rent a private mailbox from the local UPS Store. The store's always open for delivery, they email me when a package arrives, and they stay open late enough for me to pick things up after work. Plus I don't have to worry about a delivery driver just dumping a package in front of my door, and someone stealing it before I get home.

If they can't find your package, ask the postal staff about how to make a claim. And then ask them for the number of the local Postal Inspector office. That's the post office's police force (yes, the U.S. post office has their own police force) and they handle cases of postal theft. The local staff should definitely find your package then, if it's in there.

Are you sure the delivery person didn't just put the note there and then put your stuff in front of your door without ringing the bell? In rushy times like the holidays, sometimes those delivery people are like ghost and leave your stuff on your front door where many grabby hands could just walk off with your stuff.